The present invention relates to wheeled personal mobility devices, pedal or motive powered cycles and xe2x80x9cgo-cartsxe2x80x9d, tricycles, recumbent cycles, and more particularly to unique attributes which allow for selective folding of such transportation vehicles to a very thin profile.
Consumers have an ever-growing desire for compact and durable space-saving personal mobility wheeled devices. Co-inventor Shapiro disclosed pivoting wheel axle assemblies and other novel collapsible components for wheeled devices in previous U.S. application Ser. No. 09/271,274, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,611, as well as continuation in part U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/604,769. The disclosures herein grow out of the effort to create a variety of collapsing transportation vehicles and user-propelled wheeled devices which may be folded to an extremely thin profile, which generally incorporate steering and drive or pedal linkages for wheeled carts and cycles, pedal and motive-powered type cycles, recumbent bikes, xe2x80x9cgo-cartsxe2x80x9d and the like.
A number of practical problems in the prior art have prevented creation of an ultra-thin wheeled, personal mobility vehicle offering steering. The prior art is replete with obstacles relating to creating a very thin collapsed profile, yet still providing for steering and/or motive propulsion linkage to the wheels for the device.
The inventions here provide for collapsing three, four or more wheel devices, whether pedal-powered or motor/battery-powered, which set up in seconds, which include no part which normally detaches, which are very simple to collapse or place in the operative position, yet all function equally as well as other comparable non-collapsible products, with the advantage of easy, flat, storage and convenient transport.
Objects of the invention include the following: to provide movable and/or unique 270, 180 or 90 degree pivoting wheel axle and wheel support assemblies which may be specially equipped with means that allow a propulsion or pedal shaft link to the wheel when the wheel axle assembly is moved or pivoted into the operative position by virtue of a propulsion transfer gear and a propulsion linkage means, such as a belt or gears, mounted on the movable or pivoting wheel axle assembly itself, whereby the movable or pivoting wheel axle assembly is moved or pivoted into the operative position and the propulsion or pedal shaft/axle automatically links with the wheel assembly, and to alternatively provide for multiple gears mounted on the said wheel axle assembly which permit for multiple gear ratios, to disengage from the gear, e.g., to allow a glide mode when pedal power or motive power is provided.
Another object of the invention is to provide for a 270, 180 or 90 degree movable or pivoting axle assembly which is equipped with a steering gear within the movable or pivoting wheel axle assembly, which becomes operative when the wheel axle assembly is moved or pivoted into the operative position whereby a steering linkage is automatically engaged with the steering gear portion of the wheel axle assembly, to provide that all of these wheel axle assemblies automatically or positively lock in the storage position when collapsed within or nearly within the side elevational profile of the device. The wheel axle assemblies also provide that the same finger latch or latches which provide for the positive latching in the collapsed position also double as the finger latch access points which also, once the wheel assembly is moved or pivoted, serve to lock or positively latch the wheel assembly in the operative or engaged position when in use;
It is a further object of the invention to provide a transverse steering strut, or, alternatively for a bowtie-shaped cable or rigid bands which serve to stabilize bilateral steering of a plurality of wheels of the device via the xe2x80x9cjoy sticksxe2x80x9d or traditional steering wheel or handlebars, to also provide a cover or housing for the transverse steering strut, which also doubles as a cart frame support, and to also provide for a generally longitudinal support for the cart frame which also may support the drive axle when pedal drive is provided;
It is a further object of the invention to provide for multiple alternative methods of providing one or more seat bottoms or seat back or seat frames for each or any of the collapsible wheeled devices, which may include rigid or fixed seat bottoms or seat backs, as well as flexible material or fabric seat bottoms and backs which may be selectively manually manipulable by the user forward and backward depending on the size of the user, as well as to provide for a number of alternative embodiments relating to collapsibility of the bottom and back of the seat, or to allow the seat frame to be selectively manipulable along the support frame. Also, the seat frame may include a fold-out or pivotable wheel support brace which may be interfitted between a tandem set of movable wheel assemblies in their operative position.
A further object of the invention is to provide for a unique xe2x80x9cjoy stickxe2x80x9d steering component which provides that one or more steering joy sticks collapse within the general profile of the cart frame, but which, when activated, are moved or pivoted into an operative position, and movement of such joy sticks provides for the steering of the wheeled device based on the joy stick being incorporated into a further steering linkage component, and additionally said joy stick or steering component may be altered to include means whereby a button, squeeze or manipulation of said joy stick provides for power to the wheeled device when a battery or motor is utilized and is further provided that a friction style brake may be incorporated into the overall design. Alternatively, traditional steering columns which collapse are disclosed.
It is an object of the invention to incorporate battery power or other motive power means into the embodiments disclosed, and to provide for wireless remote control of such steering or motive power on any or all of the embodiments disclosed herein, wireless remote control of equipment mounted on such wheeled devices, including, but not limited to camera or imaging equipment, or miscellaneous recording and measuring apparatus, whether such devices are miniaturized or not, yet still providing for an extremely thin collapsed profile.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a three-wheeled device is disclosed which includes unique methods whereby the forward or rear wheel axle assembly collapses within the side elevational profile of the device, and additionally a wheel internal hub is provided which allows for direct pedal power, gliding mode, friction brake, and multiple gears, all within said internal wheel hub which modes may be selected and controlled by a unique lateral movement of the pedal, or by reverse or lack of pedal motion, and yet another embodiment of the three-wheeled device which provides for a second forward offset wheel sprocket equipped with pedals which pedals also allow for gear shifting which is effected by forceful lateral movement on one of the pedals of the pedal sprocket which thereby changes the gearing within the internal hub of one of the forward wheels, depending on whether a second offset sprocket is used, or a single forward wheel is employed.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a unique hideaway safety flag which is incorporated along or inside the rear of the seat design, as well as for a general cargo storage bag incorporated and collapsible into the seat back design. Further, the three-wheeled device also provides for a unique method of moving or pivoting the fork or frame of the forward wheel via the use of a pin or cam structure to allow the forward wheel and its brace to be pivoted into the same plane of the overall cart frame prior to or after the wheel is moved or pivoted to align it into the cart frame side elevational profile for collapsing purposes.
It is a further object of the invention to provide for several embodiments of collapsible tricycles, one which includes a design where the collapsing steering and forward wheel structures share a common support joint and each structure includes at least one latch control which locks and releases said structures for movement or pivoting of these structures in both the operative and collapsed position within the side elevational profile of the device frame and also provides said steering and forward wheels each incorporate an internal axle or steering control rod which is joined with a common pin, within the periphery area of the common support, and which overall design allows said rods to pivot and collapse, yet interact as one steering column unit in the operative position to provide steering control of said forward wheel. Also, the handlebar is movable to achieve a collapsed profile.
In a second tricycle xe2x80x9cA Framexe2x80x9d collapsing design embodiment a joint is provided along two ends of the central frame supporting the seat, and the central frame and rear wheel frame may each pivot and collapse in close parallel proximity to the steering column and forward wheel, and may resiliently latch together, and also the pivoting central frame may alternatively rotate, as well as pivot, so that said pivoting A frame may rotate 180xc2x0 to achieve a suitable thinner overall collapsed profile if desired. Another collapsing handlebar design is also included.
A further object of the invention is to provide multiple methods to pivot and collapse the pedals 90xc2x0 along the pedal post to a profile parallel with the wheel to which the pedal is normally joined, as well as to provide for a pivot point where the device xe2x80x9cA-Framexe2x80x9d meets the rear wheel structure so that both pivot into a common plane, and further to alternatively provide for a pivoting and/or fold-out foot step or ledge at the rear of the device, which folds into the device""s side elevational profile for collapsed storage.
It is a further object of the invention to provide that all of the disclosed transportation vehicles, whether constructed for single or multiple occupants, are designed to achieve a flat profile for easy transport and storage, including the means that allow all wheels to positively latch in a storage position within the side elevational profile of the device frame, whether using a 90, 180 or 270 degree movable and pivoting wheel axle assembly, and to provide that all other features, E.g., pedals, battery, motor, seat bottom and back, joy sticks, handlebars or steering handles, etc. all collapse within the side elevational profile of the wheeled device as well.